Polyols for use in preparing polyurethanes are usually prepared by reacting an initiator compound having a plurality of active hydrogen atoms with an alkylene oxide in the presence of basic catalysts such as tertiary amines, sodium and potassium hydroxides and sodium wherein a sodium derivative, the alkaholate or alkoxide, is formed in situ. However, these catalysts must usually be removed by filtration and/or neutralization or other catalyst removal methods prior to use, particularly when prepolymers are to be prepared from such polyols.
A process has now been discovered whereby the aforementioned filtration and/or neutralization steps can be eliminated.